Playing-cards.



C. P- AIKIN.

PLAYING owns,

1 APPLIOATIOH FILED JAN. 14, 1911. 1,004,520. Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

g The Game of SYLPH... (j e e SINGLE PRIZE Attorneys C. F. AIKIN.

PLAYING CARDS.

nrmouxon FILED 1111.14, 1911.

1,004,520. Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

a sums-111111111- 2.

id '1 I I 7 Attorneys i and 14, respectively.

CHARLES F. AIKIN, 0F STORM LAKE, IOWA.

PLAYING-CARDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 14, 1911.

Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

Serial No. 602,646.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. AIKIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Storm Lake, in the county of Buena Vista and State of Iowa,have invented new and useful Playin -Cards, of which the following is aspeci cation.

It is the object of this invention to provide a card game, the playingof which will render the players skilled in mental arithmeticcomputations.

The invention is shown in a series of thirteen figures, illustrating thedifferent cards of the deck, certain of these views being fragmental innature.

The cards which constitute the deck, may be of any number, and each cardmay be duplicated to the desired extent. The deck, however, includes acard denoted by the numeral 1 and shown in Figure 1, this card beinginscribed with the name of the game, and with directions for playing thesame, as indicated conventionally at 2. The pack further includes anydesired number of series of cards, denoted by the numerals 3, 4, 5, 6,7, 8, and shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, respectively, these cardsbeing inscribed adjacent their corners, as shown at 9, with Arabicnumerals running consecutively from one to twelve. Some or all of thecards 3, shown in Fig. 2, and bearing the Arabic 1 character 1, aremarked single prize as shown at 10. Some or all of the cards denoted bythe numerals 5, 7 and 8, and shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 7, respectively,may be inscribed double prize as shown at 11. The remainder of theconsecutively numbered cards are marked sylph, as shown at 12, the termsylph being the name which is applied to the game. The deck furtherincludes a series of cards shown in Figs. 9 and 11, and there denoted bythe numerals 15 These cards adjacent their corners, are marked with theletters U S as shown at 16. The cards shown in Fig. 11 and thereindicated by the numeral 14, may be inscribed single prize as shown at17, while the cards shown in Fig. 9 and there denoted by the numeral 15may be inscribed Uncle Sam, as shown at 18.

The invention further includes subtraction cards, one of which is shownin Fig. 8, and denoted specifically by the numeral 19. This subtractioncard 19 carries, adjacent its corners, the characters -I, as shown at20, while across the face of the card 19 are inscribed the words lessone, as shown at 21.

Multiplication cards 22 are provided (see Fig. 10) these cards carryingadjacent their corners the characters III as shown at 23, the wordmultiplier being inscribed across the face of the card 22, as shown at24.

One of the division cards is shown in Fig.

13, and denoted by the numeral 25. Th1s division card carries adjacentits corners, the legend II as shown at 26, the card 25 having the worddivisor imprinted upon its face, as shown at 27.

The deck also includes a series of doubling cards, one of which is shownin Fig. 12 and denoted by the numeral 28. Each doubling card 28 isinscribed adjacent its corners, with the character W, as shown at 29,while across the face of each doubling card, the words doubles anynumber, appear, as shown at 30.

It will be understood that the number of cards of any one variety may beincreased or diminished to any desired extent, to ac commodate anynumber of players, and to vary the element of chance-with which ends inview, the deck may consist of any number of cards.

The card shown in Fig. 8 and denoted by the numeral 19, is a subtractioncard, and it may be combined with any other number of cards upon thetable, to diminish by one, the combined values of such cards, whetherthese values be secured by addition, multiplication, subtraction,division, or by any combination of these processes.

The game may be played in this wise The dealer, delivering two cards ata time, gives four cards to each player, and turns four cards faceupwardly upon the table. Let it be supposed that there are upon thetable, cards of the consecutively numbered type, shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4,5, 6 and 7, the specific Arabic numerals carried by these cards beingthe numerals 4, 7, and 1. Suppose, too, that the player holds in hishand, the card shown in Fig. 7, and bearing the Arabic numeral 10. Thecards upon the table may be combined in any manner, either by addition,subtraction, multiplication, or division, to make the number 10.Recalling that the cards bearing the charac ters 4, 7 and 1, are uponthe table, the player may combine them in this wise-four plus sevenminus one equals ten, and pick them up, together with his own cardbearing, as above described, the Arabic character ten. Suppose, that,after a considerable length of play, there were upon the table, cardsbearing the Arabic characters 4, 3, 2, 5 and 1, the

player holding, as before, the card bearing which the person desires toplay.

The card shown in Fig. 10 and denoted by the numeral 22 may be employedto multiply any card upon the table by three. For instance, if the cardsshown in Figs. 3 and 10 lie together upon the table, the player holdinga card bearin the Arabic character 6, the player would he at liberty tomultiply the arabic character 2 upon the card in Fig. 3, by the numeral3, and pick up from the table, together with his own card bearing theArabic character 6, the cards shown in Figs. 3 and 10.

The card shown in Fig. 13 and denoted by the numeral 25, is employed todividethe value of any other card by 2. That is, if the card shown inFig. 13 lie upon the table, together with the card shown in Fig. 5, theplayer holding a card bearin the Arabic character 6, the player would beat liberty to divide the number 12, carried by the card shown in Fig. 5,by 2, and pick up the cards shown in Figs. 5 and 13, together with hisown card, bearing the character 6. 1

The card shown in Fig. 12, as its name igndicates, doubles the value ofany other card. That is, if the card shown in Fig. 6 and the card shownin Fig. 12 lie together upon the table, the player holding a cardbearing the character 4, the cards shown in Figs. 12 and 6 could bepicked up together with the players own card, having a va ue of four. 1*

The card shown in Fig. 9, and denoted by the numeral 15, will take anycard bearing the letters US as shown at 16, the card shown in Fig. 9 anddenoted by the numeral 15 also taking any card marked single prize, asshown at 10 and 17.

If a player having the Uncle Sam card denoted by the numeral 15, isforced to lay the same on the table without being able to take any tricktherewith, one point is deducted from his score. Whenever aplayers turnarrives, he may build upon the cards upon the table, and leave the stackuntil turn to play again arrives. Any stack may be changed by any otherplayer from his own hand. After the cards are all dealt and played out,the player taking the last trick takes in all of the cards which areupon the table. l/Vhen a player, in the course of the game, takes in allof the cards uponthe table, this play constitutes a sweep, giving theplayer making the sweep, an additional point in the score. In countingthe number of points made, double prizes count two points, single prizescount one point, a

sweep, as hereinbefore described, counts one point, and the playerhaving the largest number of cards receives one point. The number ofpoints to be secured in order to terminate the game, may be placed at28.

The subtraction card 19, the multiplier 22, the divisor 25, and thedoubling card 28 may all exercise their function, whether upon thetable, or led from a players hand.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the game serves to developrapidity and accuracy in'the making of mental computations. 1

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is A deck ofplaying cards embodying a series of cards having in their corners,Arabic characters running consecutively from 1; the card having thecharacter 1, being inscribed in addition to said character, with alegend ascribing an increased value to such card; certain of said othercards having, in addition to their Arabic characters, legends ascribingto such cards, values double the value indicated by the legend upon thecard bearing the character 1; a series of cards bearing separately, intheir corner-s, the Roman characters I, II and III; the card bearing thecharacter I hav ing, in addition to such character, a legend indicatinga subtraction of one unit, the card bearing the character II having, inaddition to such character, a legend indicating a division, and the cardbearing the character III having, in addition to such character, alegend indicating a multiplication; other cards having marks in theircorners distinguishing them from all the other cards, the cards thusdistinguished being marked to indicate graded values; and a card havingdistinguishing marks in its corners, the last named card having a legendindicating a doubling of the value of any. other card.

In testimony that I claim'the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES F. AIKIN.

Witnesses:

J. WV. GILBERT, A. DLUGOSOH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, layaddressing the Commissioner of latents,

- Washington, D. G.

